Boca Raton Cooking & Culinary Schools

Located just over 40 miles north of Miami, gorgeous Boca Raton is an affluent area, where many senior executives, entrepreneurs and artists reside. The town has an interesting food culture that has been heavily influenced by Cuban fare, as has the rest of Florida, especially the south of the state.

While some might say that Florida doesn't have as vibrant a food scene as New York or California, there are plenty of culinary gems waiting to be discovered there. Food is big business in Florida in general, with 36,185 eating and drinking establishments in the state, from Pensacola to Key West.

Famous Boca Raton restaurants and dishes

Attending one of the Florida culinary schools has many advantages, and perhaps the one most often cited is the climate. In fact, the climate is so good that South Florida's largest outdoor food event takes place in November each year -- yes, November. Now in its sixth year, the Boca Raton Wine & Food Festival lasts three days and features VIP Dinners Under the Stars, a Vineyard Party, a Craft Beer Battle, and more than eighty tasting stations.

With more than 600 restaurants to choose from, there's something for everyone. There are fantastic Indian, sushi, Thai, Cuban, seafood, Italian, French and British restaurants -- and we haven't even gotten into fusion and community dining yet. Allow us to list three of Boca Raton's popular eateries.

Six Tables: This small eatery consists of six tables and oftentimes only offers one seating per night. The chef personally stops by each table to discuss the day's locally sourced ingredients and preparation.

Padrino's Cuban Cuisine: This traditional Cuban restaurant is casual, popular, and serves big portions, so you might want to skip the appetizer or get a doggie bag. Don't miss the Cuban sandwich and the weekday lunch buffet.

The Sybarite Pig: Those Florida culinary arts students looking for something different might like this place, which serves top-notch beers and an array of creative food, including a duck fat burger, roasted bone marrow, and soba salad.

Florida is the country's largest producer of citrus fruit, so it makes sense that you will find citrus in many dishes here. One of the most popular of the citrus dishes is ceviche, a beloved dish that is fish "cooked" with citrus juice. Seafood such as conch, grouper and snapper is also plentiful here. Although it is technically a specialty of the Florida Keys, conch fritters are popular in the entire state. Conch is a large shellfish, and conch fritters consist of copped conch meat with a variety of vegetables, such as peppers, celery and onions.

Now, what's Floribbean cuisine? Well, this combination of "Florida" and "Caribbean" is meant to represent the fusion of the many cultures that meet in South Florida, including Cuba, the Bahamas, Haiti, Colombia, Panama and Puerto Rico. Arroz con pollo (rice and chicken), fried plantains, white rice with black beans and the Cuban sandwich are examples of Floribbean cuisine dishes.

Boca Raton culinary schools & career outlook

Now that potential Boca Raton culinary arts students have some information about the city's food scene and restaurants, it's time to focus on another important topic: earnings. Please see below for a list of data as reported by the Bureau of Labor Statistics for the entire state of Florida:

Occupation

Total Employment in Florida (2014)

Average Salary in Florida (2014)

% Job Growth in Florida (2012-2022)

Bakers

11,740

$24,940

5.3%

Chefs and Head Cooks

6,300

$55,080

5.5%

Food Service Managers

8,200

$64,020

5.5%

Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics, 2014

Since Boca Raton is a relatively small city, the Bureau of Labor Statistics lists employment data for the metropolitan area including neighboring West Palm Beach, Boca Raton, and Boynton Beach.

Location

Occupations

Total Employed (2014)

Average Salary (2014)

West Palm Beach/ Boca Raton/ Boynton Beach

Bakers

1,590

$23,010

Chefs

560

$62,540

Food Service Managers

640

$61,750

Enjoy the sunshine and your Boca Raton culinary arts school experience! We've listed some schools below to make this important decision a bit easier.